Rare EarthStagione 2018
Just stories that matter.
Dove guardare Rare Earth • Stagione 2018
50 Episodi
- The War of the InsaneE1
The War of the InsaneHappy New Year! By which I mean sorry for taking two weeks off. Francesco and I needed a rest. This is a video about the plight of the Hmong, and how not every rebellion leads to freedom. I only got around to recording the V/O on a -13 day in a Canadian backyard, if you're wondering why I speak so fast during that part. I just wanted to get back indoors. - The Voices Of CubaE4
The Voices Of CubaUse subtitles if you don't speak Spanish. We've translated their words the best we can, but as mentioned, this is their voice and therefore also their language. For our time in Cuba, we wanted to see how we could do with no plan going in. Practicing new stuff. With six days on the ground we got four videos. Plus, we didn't get arrested. Bonus! We hope you like them. - How to Save an IslandE8
How to Save an IslandBelize! I went on vacation to an island paradise with some friends, but of course couldn't help but make an episode. It's another video without Francesco, but luckily this time I had the help of some high school students: Preston Smith and Aldair Rosato. Thanks, guys! I appreciate you joining me on this mini-adventure. - How Gods Die (The Collapse of Easter Island)E9
How Gods Die (The Collapse of Easter Island)A year ago, nearly to the day, my wife and I stood before the Moai of Rapa Nui and discussed what we would have to sacrifice for me to live my dream of starting a world documentary series. Today, Francesco and I are releasing our first video from the island and I couldn't be more overwhelmed. We have a few coming from the island before we move to mainland Chile, and I hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed making them. Thanks for coming back again and again. We appreciate you. Even the trolls. - The Ego NetE13
The Ego NetJust after deciding to create this series, I met a man in Hanga Roa who I knew I wanted to interview. A man who cooks for a living but hates eating, serves for a living but hates customers, greets for a living but hates people. He doesn't consider his food art, although it is. Nor would he his restaurants (deceased and half-built), although they are as well. To him they are work, and work is his passion. In ninety countries around the globe, his food remains the best I've ever had. His restaurant was a temple to the concept of attention to detail. He calls the one he's building a castle. I'm certain it will live up to the name. - The Original September 11thE14
The Original September 11thMainland Chile! Goodbye Rapa Nui, hello Santiago! The first episode is on the most internationally famous thing to happen to the country in recent history: the story of Pinochet and Allende. As much as we've avoided Pinochet-era stories for most of this season, we figured since everyone knew about it we should get it out of the way first. Hope you like it. Also, since this was filmed at the end of the trip, I get it, I'm looking haggard. Imagine I'm Brad Pitt and it'll work out. - The Giants You Can't See From The GroundE15
The Giants You Can't See From The GroundWe're in the Atacama! And we only got in a single massive fight with one family during filming, so spirits are high. Nothing like dressing down strangers to boost the general vibe. After our opener in Santiago, we've decided to release the Chile episodes North to South. As we drove the length of the country (twice) while filming this series, the videos cover a span of nearly four thousand kilometers. It was a lot of time in a car, mostly in a desert, but it was worth it. Hope you like the episode! - The Gods of the OasisE16
The Gods of the OasisSan Pedro de Atacama: A town dedicated to the rocks that surround the tiny oasis it envelopes. I didn't really know what to say about San Pedro until a few days after we left town. But after wading through a sea of new age hippies upon arrival this is what stuck out to me. It's a bit looser script than usual, due to the story coming on the fly. Hope you enjoy regardless! - The Savage Empires of the SunE19
The Savage Empires of the SunToday's episode saw multiple equipment failures, script rewrites, and content concerns. But it took a lot of effort to film, and even saw Francesco scale his first barbed wire fence, so might as well show it off like a bauble. So here you are everyone, a bauble from Chile. - The Mad King Who Ruled NothingE24
The Mad King Who Ruled NothingI cannot thank Alejandro (the proprietor of Cabanas am Berg) enough. He was not just helpful for filming, he was a genuine and honest person from the moment we met. If the world had more people like him, we'd not need to make this series. - The Irresistible Goblin of ChiloéE27
The Irresistible Goblin of ChiloéEdit: Immaculate Conception (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immacul...) vs. Virgin Birth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_...). Ignore the words of the idiot who stands before you. The world has always been full of hideous goblins. Perhaps it is time we started to shine some light on them. Francesco and I often disagree on which episodes we like. This is one I'm less fond of. Oh well. It's our final episode in Chile, and the future is very bright. I can live with that. Starting next week - Armenia, and the breakaway Republic of Artsakh. - The Country The World Says Doesn't ExistE28
The Country The World Says Doesn't ExistEdit: In case it isn't clear in the video, this is meant to be a story of Artsakh, from the view of Artsakh. It isn't unemotional geopolitics. The Armenians are in no ways saints, and the Azeri in no way demons. The Azeri refugees forced from their homes in the external lands that Artsakhians took in the war (even against their own internal judgement) for military purposes have every right to be upset and want it back. As I say in every video, please research this all on your own. There is a very deep, nuanced, interesting story to be told from all sides. This one just happens to be from Artsakh. If you would like to visit Artsakh, I'd highly recommend staying with Saro Saryan in Shushi. His family are the living embodiment of the community, fashioned together into a wonderful guest house atmosphere. His 23 year old soldier, diplomat, lawyer son is the focus of our next episode, which I hope you'll stick around for. - Dying for a HomelandE29
Dying for a HomelandOur longest ever episode. Hope you can find the time. Obviously, this is a one-sided account from someone who fought for, and continues to fight for, Artsakhian independence. Take everything with a grain of salt, and in turn learn more about the interactions that make our planet spin. Thank you Samvel, for wasting your day on our little series. We appreciate it wholeheartedly. - Dumber than a CavemanE30
Dumber than a CavemanA bit lighter than usual. My thoughts on the caveman. To clarify before the inevitable comments: Our intelligence has shown an increase over time, yes. There are likely a number of reasons, from atmosphere to diet to leisure time. The point of this video is not to explain the science of judging intelligence over history, but to contemplate on how we treat humans of the past. Also, the Areni 1 cave winery is over 6000 years, not 8000. That slipped in to two videos somehow without us noticing. - The Armenian Pagan Neo-Nazi ProblemE31
The Armenian Pagan Neo-Nazi ProblemThis episode was inspired by visiting Garni. It's a beautiful temple, and worthy of a visit. To clarify: Though the foundations of the faith branch from Nzhdeh's historic race religion ideals, it would be inaccurate to say that the concept of an Aryan/Armenian bloodline drive the modern version of the religion. There's a huge amount of nuance there, hence the somewhat contradictory points around 5:50 in the script. - The Undeniable Pain of Getting DrunkE32
The Undeniable Pain of Getting DrunkAlcohol! One of our oldest and most polarizing past times. We've brewed it, bottled it, banned it, and barfed it. But for as long as we've been farming, it has been a part of our society. Welcome to yet another unfounded theory by yours truly. - Snitches Get StitchesE34
Snitches Get StitchesToday's episode isn't Sparta. But it does contain a 300 man army fighting back against 70,000 better armed troops. It's about Davit Bek, an Armenian legend. And more than that, it's about betrayal. This video comes courtesy of us wanting to drone some spots on the drive to Kapan and needing a concrete reason to spend the money to head south. In the end, the expense was totally worth it. Syunik province is easily one of the most attractive places on Earth. - The Bay of a Thousand NamesE38
The Bay of a Thousand Namesrama bay is gorgeous! Also, conversely, a place to see thousands of years of low-quality tagging from people of all backgrounds. From Pompeii Magnus to modern Albanian beach-goers, the walls ripple a unique type of history. Man do those boatmen know how to hustle, though. - Zog: King of the BloodfeudE39
Zog: King of the BloodfeudBe you a Hatfield, a Black Donnelly, Alexander Hamilton or Zog, vendettas are an unfortunately common part of human existence. And while as an individual, our needs for vengeance are personal and deep, they're often at odds with society. Justice is not a universal concept. Blood feuds end in blood. It's right there in the name. - A Dictator's Birthday Present to HimselfE40
A Dictator's Birthday Present to HimselfEnver Hoxha: Whether demanding they write his name in a hillside or erecting giant bronze statues to his glory, he was always looking out for the little guy. Not an egotistical bone in his body. No sir. Edit: In the video I say Romania's dictator was killed in his home. He was helicoptered to a military location, then killed. One more Albanian video (and a cottager) until Vinland! Typing this from a not-at-all gross Gros Morne morn. Looking forward to what we have in store next season. Some good changes, I think. - The Pyramid Scheme that Collapsed a NationE41
The Pyramid Scheme that Collapsed a NationWatching people get sucked into a pyramid scheme is one of the most frustrating parts of long-term friendships. Today marks our final video about America, er, I mean Albania. Both, I suppose. New season starts next Saturday. We intend to change things up a little bit. Experiment with the videos. Maybe you'll hate it. I have no idea. Either way, next up: Home sweet home. - The Foreigners Invading CanadaE42
The Foreigners Invading CanadaThis video is for my wife, who gets her passport this year. It is for my niece, who will some day call this her home. For Mamie, who sacrificed so much to bring us to this frozen country. Since today's episode is just a throwaway between seasons, we've decided to go more artsy than usual. As ever, leave your impotent rage in the comments below. - The Best Show I've Ever Made (Update)E43
The Best Show I've Ever Made (Update)It's Wednesday and there's a new Rare Earth? It sounds too good to be true! Well, you're right. It is too good to be true. But still not as good as the decorations in our Airbnb. Get tickets here: https://www.roythomsonhall.com/ticket... FB event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/12617... In all seriousness, the show is incredible and I guarantee you'll have a good time. If you like Rare Earth, you'll love Generator. - Canada's Beating HeartE44
Canada's Beating HeartWelcome to Season....uh...five? I've lost count. Let's go by location. Welcome to Newfoundland! This episode is all about history. We're trying a new system with seasons where we provide a historical base episode up front, and then are free to be a bit more abstract as the season progresses. Hopefully it will translate onto your end. From our perspective, this season has been incredibly fun to film. Likely the best ever. We've added a new crew member named Eric, who will be joining us as much as possible in the future, helping out with all sorts on the back end. He's the guy kissing the cod at the end. Looking forward to seeing how y'all like it. Vinland here we go! - The Extinction OmeletteE46
The Extinction OmeletteIf I'd had time and footage, I would have started this video with the collapse of the megafauna when humans first met this continent. I hope you'll accept this analogue in its stead. In short: Even if you love omelettes, there's wisdom in not cracking all your eggs. - The Single Biggest Layoff in Canadian HistoryE47
The Single Biggest Layoff in Canadian HistoryWhen you're talking about Newfoundland, it's basically impossible not to mention the cod. They were this island's engine for hundreds of years. They were the main driver to colonize this country, and once kept the largest empire in human history fed. But the moment we took them for granted, they all died. This is the story of the cod. - The Texas VampiresE49
The Texas VampiresEdit: To specify, they were from the Baylor College of Medicine, not Baylor University. If nothing else, I hope this video leaves you thinking about the many benefits of inbreeding. But more seriously, this episode was made possible by the friendly and open attitude of people who knew that I was essentially going to be calling them bad names on the internet (and I should make note that none of the people featured on screen were those who had their blood stolen, nor are to my knowledge any more inbred than the rest of us). The reality is that all of our family trees have knots, and even the most abhorrent of actions come with a potential silver lining. - The Boat that Didn't Change the WorldE50
The Boat that Didn't Change the WorldI don't really remember why we decided to do this, but we've made a video about how we make videos, with a real video wedged in. I'm not sure if you'll like it, but doing it this way was a lot of fun to film. There was a lot of driving around before we came across ol' Kyle here. But when we saw her, we knew it was all going to be ok. Shoutout to Jonah Haber for flying out to Newfoundland for our secret special project (yet unreleased). I'm certain what you're cooking up is going to be a masterpiece. Also - this is our last video of the year so that Franny can have a few days to rest up and take some holiday. The kid works too hard, and doesn't get enough credit for all he does behind the scenes. Merry Italian Christmas Frankie!